Find Me in the Time Before by Robin Stevens Payes

How does your normal, average teenager who has visited the Renaissance and met Leonardo da Vinci in person, go back to the humdrum of high school?

Charley Morton is still trying to figure that out, as she puts her recent unexpected time travel adventure and a narrow escape with her life behind her to focus on this year’s science fair.  She knows that working alongside her science fair partner and sometimes boyfriend Billy, a first prize is in her future. She might even allow her sometimes-bestie Beth to join the project. However, in Charley’s world, nothing is simple, and things are about to turn upside down, again, in a new adventure, Find Me in the Time Before (Book 4/Edge of Yesterday; Woodhall Press; October 2022; Price $18.95) by Robin Stevens Payes.

In Find Me in the Time Before, Charley and Billy’s old friend Kairos appears with an urgent problem – his sister Carolina is missing. In Paris. In the 18th century. To find her, Charley will have to search the streets—and cemeteries—of Paris. This is a dangerous place for a 21st-century girl to get lost in, alone and armed only with her smartphone. But Charley has another motive for daring the leap: she’s desperate to track down one of her science heroes, the Marquise Émilie du Châtelet. Among other Earth-shaking achievements, the Marquise formulated the scientific precursor to what would become, two centuries later, Einstein’s famous E=mc2. Charley’s dying to find out how this “daring woman of the Enlightenment ” dueled, gambled and advanced science and mathematics in a world where education was reserved for noblemen and kings. Like many hidden figures through the ages, Émilie’s contributions were neglected, overlooked or lost to the history recorded by men.

With time travel on her mind, Charley will need to enlist Beth’s fashion talents and Billy’s  engineering upgrades to smooth out what she knows to be a head-spinning ride through spacetime. Add Charley’s IT, physics, forensic and social innovations to the mix, and she’s on track to win the national Science Fair and collect a cash prize to boot. Just another average school year!

Author Robin Stevens Payes, after years of working as a science and education writer and coach, has a penchant for telling stories that focus on blending history, science, and fiction. Her Edge of Yesterday series is intended to entertain young adult readers and spark an interest in STEM/STEAM careers, especially for girls. Charley and Billy indulge their STEM curiosity and creativity to chase down their dreams. In the same spirit, Robin intends for her books to encourage readers to both dream and create. For teens, Find Me in the Time Before has it all—from romance to fashion, adventure to revolution, and gadgets to ghosts. In an era where kids are emerging into a world changed by a pandemic, the prospect of time travel in the Edge of Yesterday series is a leap into greater imagination and possibility.

About the Author

Robin Stevens Payes is the author of four novels for middle grade to Y/A readers. She offers workshops on storytelling and is in the process of launching a company that focuses on relationship solutions for mothers and their teen daughters. She was founding editor-in-chief of LearnNow, an online publication on the science of learning, and has written for The American Leader, Discovery Education, the National Girls Collaborative Project, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. She lives around the DC beltway in Maryland.

FIND ME IN THE TIME BEFORE
Book 4 in the Edge of Yesterday Series
By Robin Payes
Publisher: Woodhall Press
Publication Date: October 4, 2022
ISBN:
Original Trade Paperback
Price: $18.95
Page count: 436 pages

The Best Good Horse by J. Reeder Archuleta

“Moody, memorable tales powered by human struggle, tenacity, and an unshakable sense of survival.” – Kirkus Reviews

In his latest collection of short stories, J. Reeder Archuleta offers stunning, earnest, and sometimes heartbreaking glimpses into the lives of everyday people in the American Southwest. The Best Good Horse (Izzard Ink Publishing, July 26th 2022, Original Trade Paperback, ISBN 9781642280777, $19.95) captures the struggle of what it means to live as unapologetically as possible, one day at a time, from the perspective of the people who are commonly overlooked. Readers of Archuleta’s previous works may recognize a few of the names and faces, but there is no need for familiarity. Each story extends an invitation to briefly join them, sit down, and listen. They never overstay their welcome, often leaving the reader with a sense of contemplative melancholy or bittersweet amusement.

In the title story, an old cowboy befriends the daughter of a ranch cook and becomes her protector as she grows up. In the opening tale, “A Prayer to St. Michael”, a World War II spy tries to adjust to living with human depravity in a small Texas Town. “Imperfections” is an empowering and brutally honest story of an indigenous prostitute who rises above her abusive situation in a show of bravery, strength, and cunning. No two stories are the same, all managing to capture a unique time, place, and emotion. Some provide a sense of sweet innocence and some show how quickly that can be lost. Not every ending is happy, but readers can find solace in the shared human experience each has to offer.

“In addition to the character-forward approach to storytelling evident in each entry, the tones and moods work together to craft tales that are distinct from one another, despite their similar themes of aging, missed opportunities, and the rediscovery of inner strength… Throughout, the stories of The Best Good Horse brim with intense feelings, but are also rooted in the fact that reality can be both unpleasant and peaceful.” – Foreword Review

About the Author

Reeder Archuleta was raised in Texas close to the Mexican Border, and five generations of his family are in their final resting place there. His great-grandfather is buried in Concordia Cemetery in El Paso, Texas, withing spitting distance of the grave of John Wesley Hardin. Archuleta has authored three books: Rio Sonora: A Story of the Arizona Rangers, The El Paso Red Flame Gas Station and Other Stories, and his latest work The Best Good Horse.

The Best Good Horse and Other Short Stories
By J. Reeder Archuleta
Izzard Ink Publishing
Publication date: July 27th, 2022
Original Trade Paperback / Hardcover / eBook
ISBN (Paperback): 9781642280777
Price (Paperback): $19.95

Hurricamp! by Steph Katzovi

“The sign was supposed to say, ‘Camp Hillside, a place for girls and young women adventurers,’ but I had noticed that some of the letters were faded. Like the ‘w’ in ‘women.’ That was definitely a bad omen.”

Welcome to Camp Hillside, a sleepaway camp with loads of fun activities from swimming to candle making to archery! It’s also where Laura “Noodle” Newman will be spending the next four weeks of her summer. Heading to camp for the first time with high hopes and eager anticipation, Noodle quickly finds that life away from home is trickier than she’d expected. Noodle is thrust into a world with entertaining and eclectic new bunkmates, and experiences that are completely opposite from her quiet existence back at her home in Great Falls.

The drama escalates when the campers find out that Hurricane Hilda is headed their way and Camp Hillside is forced to hunker down. The routine Noodle was finally starting to get comfortable with is suddenly turned on its head. The storm’s arrival gives Noodle a new-found strength that steers her past missing home and on to forging some unexpected bonds. Join Noodle and her newfound friends in Hurricamp! (Brown Books, June 2022, ISBN: 978-1-61254-554-7, Trade Paperback) as they navigate the perils of summer camp— Can the Sandpipers make it through a stormy encounter with an angry skunk? Will they ever succeed in out-pranking their neighboring cabin? How will they deal with the unexpected departure of their beloved counselor?

“‘I’m really glad I met you guys.’ The words came out of my mouth before I could take them back. Oh well, I thought. Too late now. ‘I wouldn’t want to go through a hurricane with anyone else.’

‘Yeah,’ Charlie piped up. ‘Same here.’

Aries squeezed my hand. ‘Me too.’

‘Could you imagine what camp would’ve been like without Hurricane Hilda?’ Buffy said. ‘So boooriiiinnnggg!’”

Hurricamp! is a charming and innocent throwback to childhood— Steph Katzovi perfectly captures the feeling of being away from home for the first time, and the power that comes from finding courage you didn’t know you had. The times where Noodle embarrasses herself seem like the direst of events, while the joys she experiences also shine through brightly. Told in Noodle’s witty, earnest and distinctive voice, Hurricamp! is as quirky as Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books and emulates Judy Blume’s relatable dialogue. Parents and children alike will identify with Noodle’s vulnerabilities and the humorous lessons she learns on her adventures at Camp Hillside.

Hurricamp!
By Steph Katzovi
Brown Books
ISBN: 978-1-61254-554-7
Publication Date: May 24, 2022
Original Trade Paperback
Price: $9.99
Pages: 200

Canary in the Coal Mine by Charles Salzberg

Canary in a Coal Mine: An allusion to caged canaries (birds) that mining workers would carry down into the mine tunnels with them. If dangerous gases such as methane or carbon monoxide leaked into the mine, the gases would kill the canary before killing the miners, thus providing a warning to exit the tunnels immediately (source: yourdictionary.com).

“I’m a P.I. I have a license that says so. I take it out and look at it every so often, just to remind myself I actually have a profession. Profession. I say the word aloud. It’s a strange word. It makes me think of the “world’s oldest.” I’ve done pretty much everything in my life except for that, though some might not make much of a distinction between what I do and what they do. They do it on their back. I do it on my feet. That’s pretty much what sets us apart. It’s like that Sinatra song. You know the one. Puppet, pauper, pirate, poet, pawn and king.”

–Pete Fortunato

New York City—nine million people with a 24-hour nightlife, and an underbelly everyone knows is humming along, but most choose not to venture into it. Not so for Private Investigator Pete Fortunato, who makes his living searching for the bad behavior that is inevitable in such a giant metropolis. Today he is about to come into some cash and what seems to be an easy assignment when wealthy, sexy Lila Ashton appears at the door. In reality, Pete has no idea of what trials he will face. In Canary in the Coal Mine (Down and Out Books; ISBN 978-1-64396-251-1; April 2022) award-winning author Charles Salzberg introduces mystery readers to a new hard-boiled P.I. and a brand-new mystery series.

Lila Ashton’s request is simple: find my estranged husband. Easy money Pete thinks, until he finds the husband dead in Lila’s ex-lover’s run-down apartment. While Pete tends to follow his own rules and his own code, which is telling him to take the paycheck and walk away, he quickly finds that Lila Ashton is hiding something. If he doesn’t get to the bottom of it, he may join Mr. Ashton six-feet under.

Not able to wait for the Homicide Department to plod through their procedures, and with death threats at his door, Pete is going to have to step up and use all of his P.I. muscle to solve the case. Armed with Lila’s useless actor, ex-boyfriend, who is hilariously dense, Pete will literally travel miles before he gets a chance to sleep.

Fans of the Henry Swann Series, Devil in the Hole, Second Story Man, and other mysterious works from Charles Salzberg will enjoy getting to know this new gumshoe. Pete Fortunato as a P.I. committed to his case, with a strong distaste for personal physical danger, will join the ranks of other great characters in the genre, like Sam Spade and Mike Hammer. Canary in the Coal Mine is a gritty whodunnit that takes reader for a bumpy ride with an unexpected destination.

 

Canary in the Coal Mine
By Charles Salzberg
Down and Out Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-64396-251-1
Publication Date: April 2022
Price: 18.95 (Paperback) | 7.99 (eBook)

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Angel of Ambition by Glenn Kaplan

New Thriller by NYT Bestselling Author About a Woman Who Dares To Break The Rules

Glenn Kaplan, author of the New York Times bestseller Evil Inc., and Poison Pill, returns with an international thriller, Angel of Ambition (Woodhall Press; October 2022; 978-1954907348; Price), which tells the story of a fascinating young woman hell-bent on escaping poverty and getting to the very top.

Angela was invisible to the rich women she waited on in the menial jobs open to a girl from her background.  But she learned from them, mastering their uptown accents and manners and, most importantly, their ice-cold arts of winning at any cost.

When Angela gets her first professional break in an ad agency, she snags herself a mentor (and soon, a lover) in the big boss, Jack.  But Jack has no intention of getting serious.  As soon as the relationship becomes a liability, he dumps her.  With a hardened heart, Angela realizes  she must be ruthless to climb the ladder and wait to get her revenge.  She vows never again to let her emotions drive her decisions.

Jack “The Drunken Cheater”
London to New York: In a few short years, Angela rockets up to an executive position with power.  When she meets with her bosses in London, a cabal of powerful, wealthy men,  she is tasked with slashing costs at the ad agency where Jack works.  To crush Jack and make a tidy million in the process, Angela executes Phase One of her plan, leaving Jack in a pile of drunken rubble.

Charlotte “The Spoiled Little Rich Girl”
New York to Antigua: Angela and Charlie are confidantes and designer shopping buddies.  But while Charlie should be paying attention to what her bestie Angela is up to, she obsesses over social climbing on her Daddy’s (Cliff) fortune.  Crafty Angela has her own plan for Cliff which will put Charlie in her place and drive the aging billionaire right into her dangerous web.

Angel of Ambition is an international thriller that captures attention from the first page with a complex heroine for whom you can’t help but cheer, even though some of her actions may be unconventional.  Readers who love the stories behind people like fake heiress Anna Delvey, and characters like Amy Dunne in Gone Girl, will love watching Angela’s clever work get her and everyone around her, everything they deserve.

About the Author:

Glenn Kaplan is the NY Times bestselling author of Evil Inc. and Poison Pill. He worked in the international art world and as creative director in global advertising agencies and a Fortune 500 company. He is married and lives in New York City.

ANGEL OF AMBITION
By Glenn Kaplan
Woodhall Press
Publication Date: October 2022
ISBN: 978-1-954907-34-8
Original Trade Paperback
Price: $18.95
Page Count: 377